CONSUMER ACCEPTABILITY OF BEEF STEAK TENDERNESS IN THE HOME AND RESTAURANT

Acceptability of beef steak tenderness in home and restaurant environm ents was evaluated by 62 consumers. Steaks (loin, ribeye, or bottom an d top round) were consumed by each panelist in their home and in a fin e dining restaurant. Each consumer rated steaks for tenderness and ove rall acceptability in the home (over a 2-mo period) and one steak per week (over a 7-wk period) in the restaurant. Acceptability for steaks consumed at home and in the restaurant ranked between 3 (moderately to ugh) and 4 (slightly tough) on an 8-point scale. The Warner-Bratzler S hear force transition level for beef tenderness acceptability in the h ome was between 4.6 and 5.0 kg and in the restaurant between 4.3 and 5 .2 kg. The unacceptable level of beef steak tenderness was less than o r equal to 4.3 kg. Results suggested that consumers were more critical of beef tenderness in the home than in restaurants. Consumer response s may have been influenced by receiving free meals in the home or rest aurant, as well as by the dining environment.